The invention disclosed herein relates generally to systems and methods for evidencing postage payment, and more particularly to systems and methods for evidencing postage payment using a personal computer.
Postage metering systems have been developed which employ encrypted information that is printed on a mailpiece as part of an indicium evidencing postage payment. The encrypted information includes a postage value for the mailpiece combined with other postal data that relate to the mailpiece and the postage meter printing the indicium. The encrypted information, typically referred to as a digital token or a digital signature, authenticates and protects the integrity of information, including the postage value, imprinted on the mailpiece for later verification of postage payment. Since the digital token incorporates encrypted information relating to the evidencing of postage payment, altering the printed information in an indicium is detectable by standard verification procedures. Examples of systems that generate and print such indicium are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,725,718, 4,757,537, 4,775,246 and 4,873,645, each assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
Presently, there are two postage metering device types: closed system and open system. In a closed system, the system functionality is solely dedicated to metering activity. Examples of closed system metering devices, also referred to as postage evidencing devices, include conventional digital and analog (mechanical and electronic) postage meters wherein a dedicated printer is securely coupled to a metering or accounting function. Typically, in a closed system, the printer is securely coupled and dedicated to the meter, and printing evidence of postage cannot take place without accounting for the evidence of postage. In an open system, the printer is not dedicated to the metering activity, freeing system functionality for multiple and diverse uses in addition to the metering activity. Examples of open system metering devices include personal computer (PC) based devices with single/multi-tasking operating systems, multi-user applications and digital printers. An open system metering device is a postage evidencing device with a non-dedicated printer that is not securely coupled to a secure accounting module. An open system indicium printed by the non-dedicated printer is made secure by including addressee information in the encrypted evidence of postage printed on the mailpiece for subsequent verification. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,725,718 and 4,831,555, each assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
Recently, the United States Postal Service (xe2x80x9cUSPSxe2x80x9d) has approved personal computer (PC) postage metering systems as part of the USPS Information-Based Indicia Program (xe2x80x9cIBIPxe2x80x9d). The IBIP is a distributed trusted system which is a PC based metering system that is meant to augment existing postage meters using new evidence of postage payment known as information-based indicia. The program relies on digital signature techniques to produce for each mailpiece an indicium whose origin can be authenticated and content cannot be modified. The IBIP requires printing a large, high density, two-dimensional (xe2x80x9c2-Dxe2x80x9d) bar code on a mailpiece. The 2-D bar code, which encodes information, is signed with a digital signature. A description of the IBIP is found in IBIP PERFORMANCE CRITERIA FOR INFORMATION-BASED INDICIA AND SECURITY ARCHITECTURE FOR OPEN IBI POSTAGE METERING SYSTEMS (PCIBI-O), a published draft specification dated Feb. 23, 2000, which is referred to herein as the xe2x80x9cIBIP Specificationxe2x80x9d. The IBIP Specification defines the proposed requirements for a new indicium that will be applied to mail being created using IBIP, defines the proposed requirements for a Postal Security Device (xe2x80x9cPSDxe2x80x9d), which is a secure processor-based accounting device that is couple to a personal computer to dispense and account for postal value stored therein to support the creation of a new xe2x80x9cinformation-basedxe2x80x9d postage postmark or indicium that will be applied to mail being processed using IBIP, and defines the proposed requirements for a host system element (personal computer) of IBIP.
The IBIP Specification defines a stand-alone open metering system, referred to herein as a PC Meter, comprising a PSD coupled to a PC, which operates as a host system with a printer coupled thereto. The PC runs the metering application software and associated libraries and communicates with the attached PSD. The PC Meter processes transactions for dispensing postage, registration and refill on the PC. Meter processing is performed locally between the PC and the PSD coupled thereto. Connections to a Data Center, for example for registration and refill transactions, are made locally from the PC through a local or network modem/internet connection. Accounting for debits and credits to the PSD is also performed locally, logging the transactions on the PC. Several application programs running on the PC, such as a word processor or an envelope designer, may access the metering application software. An example of a PC Meter product that had been approved by the USPS was the E-Stamp(copyright) Internet Postage which was distributed by E-Stamp Corporation of Houston, Tex.
The USPS has approved an alternative version of the PC Meter in which the PSD function is performed at a server that is remote from the PC and accessible through the Internet. A description of the alternative version of the PC Meter is found in IBIP PERFORMANCE CRITERIA FOR INFORMATION-BASED INDICIA PROGRAM (IBIP) SYSTEMS EMPLOYING CENTRALIZED POSTAL SECURITY DEVICES, a published draft specification dated Aug. 17, 2000, which is referred to herein as the xe2x80x9cIBIP Centralized Specificationxe2x80x9d.
The IBIP Specification defines this alternative version, which is referred to herein as a xe2x80x9cvirtual meterxe2x80x9d, which is a network metering system that has many client PCs without any PSDs coupled thereto. The client PCs run application software for requesting and formatting postage indicia, but all PSD functions are performed on server(s) located at a Data Center. The PSD functions at the Data Center may be performed in a secure device attached to a computer at the Data Center, or may be performed in the Data Center computer itself. The client PCs must connect with the Data Center to process transactions such as postage dispensing, meter registration, or meter refills. Transactions are requested by the client PC and sent to the Data Center for remote processing. The transactions are processed at the Data Center and the results are returned to the client PC. Accounting for funds and transaction processing are centralized at the Data Center. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,454,038 and 4,873,645, which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention. An example of a virtual meter is ClickStamp(trademark) Online Internet postage metering system, offered and maintained by Pitney Bowes Inc. at its web site www.pitneyworks.com. See also, International Patent Applications WO/9857302, WO98/57303, WO98/57304, WO98/57305, WO98/57306 and WO/9857460, each having an international filing date of Jun. 12, 1998, for further descriptions of virtual metering.
Although virtual metering is now authorized by the USPS, the vendors have experienced reluctance on the part of potential mailers to go through the registration process and wait for approval for a meter license before they are allowed to print postage obtained over the Internet. The delay caused by a mailer waiting for approval for a meter license before being able to print postage from a PC is perceived as a deterrent to acquiring mailers. Vendors of PC postage have resorted to paying mailers, for example $25-$50 free postage, as an incentive to try PC postage. The problem with this technique is that many mailers fail to use the service beyond the free postage.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method that eliminates the delay and minimizes the cost of acquiring a mailer.
The present invention provides for instant metering of online postage. The present invention further provides a system and method for printing postage on a PC printer without having a meter license or a meter account. The present invention is described for use with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is suitable for use for metering postage with any Post.
The USPS requires that the accounting for postage of the mail items that enter the USPS system (referred to as inbound postage) be reconciled by crediting the point of origin post office for the postage of the mail items that enter the USPS system at such post office. The present invention provides different embodiments of instant metering of online postage, each of which meets such USPS requirement.
A first embodiment provides a meter account licensed to a meter vendor for dispensing online postage to customers from a plurality of origin zip codes. At predetermined intervals, the USPS receives a report of the meter account of the postage dispensed and amount dispensed by origin zip codes. A second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment except it provides at least one vendor meter per zip code (thus assuring accounting by zip code).
Another embodiment provides a plurality of vendor meters per zip code whereby a mailer is loaned one of the vendor meters corresponding to the zip code from which the mailer is originating entry into the USPS system and the use of the meter is revoked when usage stops. An alternate to this embodiment provides a plurality of temporary meters that are temporarily loaned to respective mailers until the USPS grants the meter license to the mailer.
Concerning the payment for postage over the Internet, the present invention includes the capability for paying for postage through a micropayment system. The present invention is compatible with a postage subsidy system and method for printing advertisements on a mailpiece, including coupons with barcodes to identify the sender and receiver (and typically, the redeemer) of the coupon. The present invention further provides the concepts of purchasing an xe2x80x9ce-book of stampsxe2x80x9d over the Internet and interfacing with an online rewards program.